October 16

“Today, the Walt Disney Company will celebrate, recognize and reward those who have contributed their creativity and imagination to the Disney heritage in the 2003 Disney Legends ceremony.”

On October 16, 2003, eleven members of Disney history were inducted as Disney Legends. Among those honored were comic publisher Al Taliaferro; Disney representative to New Zealand, Neil Beckett; actor Buddy Hackett; director Richard Fleischer; wife of Disney and supporter of the Disney Company, Edna Disney; advisor and trustee of the California Institute of the Arts, Harrison “Buzz” Price; former Vice President of Engineering, Design, and Production, Orlando Ferrante; composer and co-founder of Disneyland Records, Tutti Camarata; comic strip artist Floyd Gottfredson; voice actress for Cinderella, Ilene Woods; and last but not least, Lillian Disney, who performed many behind-the-scenes acts to keep the company, and her husband’s legacy, alive. Among the eleven honored, only five were alive at the time of the ceremony: Richard Fleischer, Harrison Price, Orlando Ferrante, Tutti Camarata, and Ilene Woods.